NEIGHBORING FOES
by LittleBirdieChan
Summary: Varian, outraged, leaves his former kingdom of Corona . . . and encounters particularly strange and fascinating characters.
1. After All That's Happened

**ENJOY ~**

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With every minute, every second, of every day Varian grows a smoldering animosity toward the kingdom of Corona.

King Federic holds Varian for high treason due to the near destruction of his highness's palace. The best form of punishment was to keep Varian in a heavily guarded cell with restraints at all times. After all that's happened to Varian, it wasn't an astonishment, or an inconvenience.

There was no one or anywhere to turn to.

His home, the mainland, Old Corona, had crumbled down to the ground. The people were in a constant state of panic. It has come to their knowledge that Varian was to have an audience with the king and the queen in a matter of hours. A handful of people in the mainland were wondering if Varian really had the intention of tearing down the kingdom. They were concerned. He was just a child. A sweet boy with an astounding amount of knowledge and pure fasination with the science of discovering new things and inventing absurd contraptions. The only bad thing that was ever said about Varian by these few people was the fact that he would sometimes get carried away with his inventions to the point where they would accidentally go awry. These people believed he was good at heart, that he wouldn't purposely hurt anyone. Ever.

Others on the mainland, however, the LOT of them, believed that that was exactly the problem with Varian. These people would speak out of anger. They would say Varian was a nuisance. Someone who grew with up a very busy father and without the proper love of a mother. Varian could build anything out of nothing from the ground up. That was brilliant and everything. However he never once thought to be considerate of those around him and warn them of the possible consequences of his careless inventing and they believed he wouldn't be in the unfortune perdicament he is now.

Varian's truth was far beyond from what anybody in the mainland, or the kingdom understood. Which made his blood boil. Yes. He had a fasination with science. Yes. He loved to build things . . . but they were anything. But. Absurd. No one in the mainland ever understood he would build things to benefit others. To make difficult tasks easier for others. Yes. He would get carried away in inventing. Yes. Things would go awry. Severely and frequently. That's the only thing everyone in the mainland has ever known Varian to do. Fail. To cause destruction. Which is why he would often keep his inventing to himself. All Varian ever wanted . . . all he ever needed . . . was the acknowledging encourgements of others.

When the recent homecoming of the kingdom's missing princess came to the surface it wasn't long before Rapunzel became aware of Varian's fixation in problem solving with his superior intellect. She and her hand maiden personally requested Varian's assistance. Quickly becoming friends, Rapunzel explained she was in perdicament of her own, she entrusted Varian for help. It was certainly a bizzare problematic situation that invovled very long, beautiful, golden, hair growing over night and the upbringing of dangerous mysterious pointed stones. It was a chance for Varian to prove himself. The fact that Princess Rapunzel gave that chance to Varian, and believed he could anything in his power to help, was enough to keep him upbeat and useful.

Everything backfired. Like it always did.

Varian's world had turned upside down, when he and his father were the ones who needed help. The upbringing of the dangerous mysterious pointed stones had worsened. The stones were indestructible, and they invaded the mainland. Varian's father, Quirin, believed their people were in trouble. Quirin requested to see his majesty, king Federic, along with the agreement of Varian's. Things went a bit differently to Varian's surprise. Instead of asking for help, his father simply asked for more land for their crops. Which was untrue and very confusing. Dismissing his son's questions and concerns Quirin simply told Varian to stay away from the stones. Disobeying his father's wishes Varian experimented with different methods and variables with the intention of being rid of the stones. Concerned Quirin interrupted Varian in the middle of his experimentations. This caused them they aruge wether or not if Varian can do it. Varian was positive that he could, and that he was close, to prove this he had one of his experimentations drop on to the stones, something went wrong. It grew amber instead. The amber grew to such an extent that it encased his father . . . The amber was just as indestructible as the stones before.

Scared at his mind Varian returned to the kingdom. Only to find that the king and queen had left the kingdom on a two day trip and left princess Rapunzel in charge. Rapunzel was flabbergasted being that she had problems of her own, her parents' horse returned immediately after they left with a missing carriage, which lead to the belief that they were possibility hurt. The kingdom's best men went out looking for Rapunzel's parents and she was left alone in charge of her people in a middle of a crisis. Varian bursted into the scene without the knowledge of Rapunzel, begging for her help. She was the only one that could help, for she wanted to solve to mystery of the undestructable pointed stones herself, it was somehow linked to her long golden hair . . . However . . . She just simply couldn't do it. Varian didn't hear her reasons as to why . . . or rather he didn't want to, all he heard was the sound of utter and complete betrayal when her guards forcefully escorted him out of the palace.

Varian vowed that day he couldn't rely on anybody. Not the people of the kingdom, not the people in his mainland, not even those who were supposedly his companions. He could only rely on himself.

Countless sleepless nights Varian had stayed up and heavily researched ways to rescue his father from his amber encased prison. The answer was right in front of him when he stumbled upon an old encripted scroll foretelling the stories of the sunflower and the moonstone. The flower had magical properties to heal any disease of any kind, it helped the queen concieve princess Rapunzel, but the moonstone . . . the moonstone was its counter part. The details were missing from the torn scroll. With no knowledge of why they were so indestructible. Nevertheless. Varian's idea only consisted of the Sunflower. If it was the polar opposite of the stones, maybe they had the reaction needed to save his father. The only question: Where was the SunFlower? Varian was certain there was remains of it. The king couldn't have possibly be rid of something so previous and valuable. It was possible that it was hidden in the palace of Corona. But where? It was the last place he wanted to be, but he was eager to find answers.

Varian ran into princess Rapuzel the minute he set foot out of the kingdom. By then he already had an idea of where the remains of the sunflower were with the help of his latest concoction baked in harmless looking treats given to guards who were stupid enough to eat them. The truth serum. Rapuzel genuinely seemed apologetic how she and Varian left things since they last seen each other. They were just empty words resonating through Varian's heavy heart, but he used them as an opportunity. Rapunzel got Varian to the sunflower with great effort, but eventually he got what he was looking for. The look on the princess's face when he took the remains of the flower, realizing it was only to rescue his father, was one that was familiar and left a twinge in the pit of his chest.

The efforts in retreiving the remains of the sunflower were completely useless. Much to Varian's anger and frustration his attempt to rescue his father ended in failure. Thinking back on the stories of the flower he realizes the properties of healing weren't in the flower anymore. They were in Rapunzel's hair.

Not a day soon after, Varian announces his presence in the Kingdom of Corona, informing them of the growing destruction made from the stones, and his intention of making Corona pay for ignoring him in desperation need of help. Varian terrorizes people by unleashing a giant monster that use to be his devious pet raccoon and a small built of severely strong army of ancient giant mechanical guardians known as automans. In the midst of all the chaos, palace guards were injured, while Rapunzel and her friends were distracted he managed to capture the Queen from her castle.

Varian explained to the queen he was only using her as leverage to have her daughter come to her rescue. He only needed Rapunzel's hair to free his father.

When the time came King Federic, Rapunzel and company had fallen into Varian's traps. Telling them if he didn't do what they were told there'd be serious consequences. He'd even gone far as to telling them he'd encase the queen in amber just like his father. Rapunzel gave in. Rapunzel's hair began to react to the amber, but the amber did not break, draining Rapunzel of her strength. King Federic, eventually freed from Varian's traps, ran to help the queen, and then comforted Rapunzel. Varian's sanity was pushed over the limit. None of this would've happened if they would've just helped Varian. None this would've happened if he hadn't met Rapunzel or told him about the stones. It was all her fault. IT'S ALL HER FAULT!

Varian wanted Rapunzel to suffer. He wanted her to feel what he felt. In his last moment of desperation Varian wanted to crush Rapunzel's best friend and her mother to death.

And he couldn't even do that . . .

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 **NOTE: This is just my understanding of what happened in Tangled: The Series and for those who haven't watched the show. I recommend watching it. For those who like quick action, quirky humor, and sitting through an agonizing slow telling story that leaves you nothing but an ending with piling questions, and wondering if the bad guy is really a bad guy. That poor unfortunate soul. :'D**

 **If you like this, stay tuned for the beginning of the actual story. I promise I'll try not to disappoint.**

 **COMMENT, FAVORITE, FOLLOW, SHARE, or WHATEVER. It doesn't really matter, but it'll be greatly appreciated. THANKS FOR READING!**


	2. After All That's Happened and More

**ENJOY ~**

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The sharp sound of a royal guard's halberd clanging against the bars of Varian's prison snapped him out of his daze. He ran a bare hand under his dampened, dark circled eyes. Unwanted emotions are such an annoyance, especially when they were unexpected. As much as Varian tried to hold it in, his grief and anger would form like an uproar in the back of his throat ready to scream. His lips would tremble, his shoulders heaved, and then his dark lashes would be brimmed with heavy beads of water. Tears would start falling down one after another, without any sign of stopping, and he absolutely loathed it.

"The King and Queen shall now take an audience with Varian in the throne room." A different royal guard said.

Varian's restrained hands clenched into fists. He burried the battle with his emotions deep down and braced himself for what was coming next.

In the time he was locked in his cell Varian became aware of the royal guards lessening more and more. There seemed to be a lack of men in their red and black uniforms topped with golden sun chest plates and helmets. It hadn't even been two months since Varian's sentence. He assumed that the royal guards were well aware of Varian's position, he wouldn't attempt an escape, or cause any conflict with any of his neighboring cell mates. Which was an insult in Varian's opinion. He felt as though the guards didn't consider him any much more of a threat than he was when he attempted to destroy the kingdom. Perhaps it was the opposite. Perhaps the royal guards didn't want to watch over the boy who injured a number of their people in their kingdom. They were probably thinking he was a force not to be reckoned with.

"Move it, kid!" The guard with the halberd shouted. The man was Captain of the guards. He was middle aged, with a big physique, a red round face, and a thick line of black fur on his upper lip. He had slid the small prison's bars door open.

The second guard was his subordinate. Younger, same built, long face, with a strong tan. He yanked the chains that restrained Varian's hands with such a force he almost fell to his knees. In return Varian gave the guard an inflaming look of hatred, he was about to mouth him off, but the captain poked the tip of his halberd between Varian's shoulder blades and begrudgingly marched forward. The guards lead Varian into a series of uncomfortably dark bricked tunnels and stairs before they reached up the palace. Once they touched polished fancy marbled floors Varian squinted. It felt like a life time since he'd seen natural light peek through some windows. Never have he thought he'd miss such a simple thing.

He tried his best to ignore the mixed stares and voices coming from the various hand maidens and other guards roaming around the palace, running errands, and fulfilling their duties to their majesty's requests. Varian must've looked horrible as he felt. He had dark circles under his eyes, losing weeks of sleep, he had also lost the rosy color of his fair skin due to malnutrition, and quite a bit of weight. In his time locked up, the walls would leak water every now and again from stormy weather, forming puddles on the ground. Varian would sometimes stare at his distorted reflection and could never quite recall who the dark haired, blue eyed boy was before his life went into shambles.

He stood before an enormously tall set of bronze doors. They opened.

To the average person who hadn't been in Corona's throne room would find that it was monumentally beautiful. It had massive windows with golden lining. The ceiling was draped with violet banners, and the polished wood beneath one's feet had a long purple floor covering leading up to the three thrones. To Varian the throne room ran a bad memory of a brutal betrayal. He half heartedly expected his former friend, the princess, to be present at her throne, but he only took notice of only two perfectly postured adults standing next to each other. They were dressed in formal attire, which were fabricated out of the most expensive silk and velvet ever known in the kingdom. Varian fought the urge to scowl as he stood in front of them.

The captain of the royal guards pushes the tip of his halberd between Varian's shoulder blades, "Bow to Queen Arianna and her husband King Frederic." He demanded.

Varian swore his skin had been pierced. He clenched his jaw ready to do what he was told, but to his surprise the king spoke. "There is no need." He said. "Please. You must refain using force under my presence."

"Yessir."

"Release the boy from his restraints and leave us be."

"My king! Are are you sure that's wise?"

One stern look from Frederic and the guard followed his order. The restraints fell off with a huge **_THUNK!_** echoing the throne room. Varian ran his hands across his wrists a couple of times before he could accustom to the weight that had been gone and adjusted to the one that had been filled with a long silence.

King Frederic held a glowering gaze from Varian. His blue eyes were lethal. Like a knife puncturing a hole into one's soul, the sharp point digging deeper and deeper. Where there had been love and happiness was now an emptiness, but one none made out of vulnerabilities.

Queen Arianna decided to speak first, she slipped a loose strand of chocolate colored hair behind her ear, and uncomfortably shifted closer to her husband. "Varian," She stated.

"Your majesty." Varian boomed back, with a voice completely foreign to him. For it had been months since he has last spoken.

Arianna fought the urge to break eye contact. "We've been in deep discussion of your position in the kingdom of Corona."

"Have you, now?"

"Yes." A pause. "To you, Varian we give you, our sympathies. We've come to the decision to drop all crimes against you-"

A chortle escaped out of Varian.

King Frederic, very insulted, spoke. "And what on earth is so funny, boy?"

Varian wasn't all too sure himself. Was it the fact that after all the weeks he'd been locked in a cell, awaiting a conference with the king and queen, drove him on the brink of insanity? Or was it the fact that he couldn't have been more ridiculed and the only outlet left for him was to just have a cold fit of laughter? No, no. It had to be something else.

Varian scoffs. "Oh. Nothing really your majesty. Just the fact that it probably took you an enormous amount of time to come to the belief that's what I really want."

Thunder shook the throne room. The threat of a heavy storm was nearby. It was eerily quiet before Arianna frowned and asked, "What DO you want Varian? As queen and king we have the will and power to give you what you need. Within reason-"

"What I WANT?" Varian snapped. "My father! To be freed from his predicament. Oh wait. There isn't a slight chance that could happen anymore. Due to the fact that our home possibly CRUSHED HIM TO DEATH!"

"Varian-"

"No. Actually. You can send me back to my prison. I'd rather rot in there than to recieve anything by the likes of you!" Varian mockingly kneels to the king and queen. "Thank you for the kind gesture though. It was a nice thought." His eyes shifted toward his restraints. Which were inches away from his grasp.

He held scoff . . . _imbeciles_.

Without having a second thought, Varian took hold of one of the shackles and struck the king dead in the face. Frederic crumbled to the floor and Arianna screamed for the guards. Varian took the other metal restraint and made for one of the long purple ceiling banners. He twirled the banner so that it could fit the grip of his hands and climbed it like he would a rope. Men in golden armor came by the dozen and saw that Varian was trying to escape by breaking through the gold lined windows. The captain ordered half of his men to circle outside the palace. The other half try to shake Varian off the banner, but it was too late. Varian had swung to the windowsill and broke through the glass by slamming the metal shackle into it. With that he makes his escape.

Varian makes a giant leap toward garbled roof. A light drizzle had made the structure very slippery. He slid and tumbled a few times before he finally made it face first toward muddy ground. Varian swore that he twisted something, but he didn't have time to think about it. He only desperately wanted to get out of Corona. Out of its island. Completely. He sprinted toward the docks. The light drizzle now becoming a thundering down pour. Nearly tripping about a dozen times, running straight into locals, and ducking royal guards he stumbled upon burly twin brothers quickly boarding a ship. Varian's plan was to knock them out cold with the left over shackle he still had, and take the ship for himself, but then he got up close and personal with one of the twins and realized he was two times his height and weight. Top it off with the fact that they were infamously the most wanted criminals known as the Stabbinton brothers. Varian realized now why the royal guards were lessening in the time he was locked, they were after escaped thieves. He knew he didn't have a standing chance. Instead of going toe to toe with them, Varian just simply and urgently told the twins that he had to get on their ship.

"Not a chance!" One shouted through the roaring storm. He pulled out a dagger. He had a really nasty brute face. His brother, equally ugly, wearing an eyepatch followed his lead.

"Let me board the ship." Varian demanded. Hoping it might push them he added, "The royal guards are after me. Do you really want them catching you stealing a ship? You'll get locked up again!"

Just to prove he wasn't lying Varian pointed to a squinty looking guard just a few feet away from the docks. The Stabbington brothers gave each other begrudingly terrible glares, shoved Varian into the stolen ship.

The storm was much worse on waters. Enormous waves violently rocked the boat. Varian had to question if the thieving brothers knew what they were doing, but they managed to keep themselves on board just fine. What they didn't know was how much worse the storm was going to become or if it'll ever let up. That's when things happen to go awry. Much to their unfortunate dismay, Varian and the Stabbinton brothers were struck by lighting. The boat caught on fire and they were ruthlessly swept by the unforgiving waves.

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It wasn't bad enough that the unexpected storm nearly swept away The Edge, but also swept in mysterious indestructible pointing looking stones too? Hiccup let's out a heavy sigh as he ran a hand through his chopped brown hair. "This is not good, bud."

A low gutteral sound escaped out of Toothless the dragon, as if agreeing with his owner and best friend.

"Hiccup!" Yelled out Astrid. A young woman who had studded light armor and a single yellow braid, waved for her significant other to come at her side.

Hiccup saw the exasperated look on Astrid's face and shifted his eyes toward what she was holding on her lap, or rather _who_. "Oh no." he softly spoke.

"I know." Astrid said. "Just after you told me to see how far these strange rocks went, Stormfly went crazy, and lead me to what I thought was a hurt dragon, but. It was just a boy . . . You don't think he's a dragon Hunter or Flyer do you?"

"No." Hiccup knelt down next to Astrid and briefly studied the adolescent. He couldn't have been a few years younger than them. He wore strange attire, neither of which consisted of armor, or fur. He didn't have a big physique, or a brute face, not even scars. which were all indications of a warrior. In fact the boy just looked painfully pale and malnourished. " I don't think he's with them. He would've had a group of men looking for him by now, or, for that matter a dragon. I don't even think he's from any of our known islands." He paused. "Is he . . . ?"

As Astrid silently gave Hiccup a somber look, but then a loud cough distrupted them.

"He's alive!"

"Let's take him to my hut, Astrid. He needs all the help he could get."

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 **NOTE: What'd you think? :D**

 **COMMENT, FAVORITE, FOLLOW, SHARE, or WHATEVER. It doesn't really matter, but it'll be greatly appreciated. THANKS FOR READING!**


	3. And Now

**ENJOY ~**

* * *

Varian was in and out of consciousness for what seemed like an eternity. All that he could recall was pushing and kicking against the wallowing darkness of an unforgiving vicious sea, before the taste of its salty murky waters burned and filled up his lungs, devouring him from the inside out. His vision momentarily became a blur, like a poor quality painting that's been smeared into distortion.

It wasn't that long before Varian drew out a painful breath. Struggling to keep the rhythm of chest steady, he completely managed to cough out all the ocean water out of his lungs. Varian was very dazed and confused, but he was sure he was out of the water, and heard the distinct resonating sounds of concerned voices. At first Varian felt a heavy sense of relief for his survival, but then he wondered if his mind was playing a cruel trick on him. Varian swore he heard someone asking if he was dead.

"If he's dead I call dibs on deboning him!" A female maybe. With an awfully strange rough tone to her voice.

Another replied with, "Hey! No way, sister! You always call dibs on deboning. If you're deboning him I call dibs on keeping his skull." The voice's tone was simliar but it was a lot more deeper. Male.

A third voice, male, ended the conversation. "No Ruff, Tuff! No one's deboning anybody, no one's getting anybody's skull, and he's not dead. He's just resting." He heaves a sigh. "Now. Was there something you wanted to report to me or are you two just being . . . Annnd you're gone . . . "

Varian wasn't so sure what happened next, but he fell asleep for what felt like minutes. Then he felt his heart beating so fast, so loud, he thought it might burst. Something was wrong. Varian snapped his eyes wide open. He found an overly sized pair of bright green eyes on a giant, scaly, pitch black, winged creature boring its stare right into his soul. His initial reaction? To scream. Naturally.

Varian quickly sat up and found himself backing into a wall, "MONSTER!" He shouted.

"Nah." Someone casually replied. "That's just Toothless." The voice animated from a young man with choppy auburn hair and deep green eyes. He had a ruddy complexion with light freckles sprinkled all over his nose. His attire was rather bizarre. It consisted of vest-like armor made out of leather and double layered shoulder guards, with a red-orange, long sleeved tunic underneath, and brown pants. What made him unique was his left foot, which wasn't a foot at all, but rather a metal prosthetic.

"TOOTHLESS?" Varian exclaimed. "What's a Toothless?"

"Only the most mysterious and fearsome dragon ever known to all vikings! The Night Fury." The young man said, "Don't mind him though. Toothless is usually harmless. Just give him a giant trout and he tends to behave . . . Well, most of the time."

A deep, low, groan vibrated out of the creature. Almost as if he was in disbelief, glaring at his owner.

A chuckle. "What? You got to admit, you do tend to get a little spoiled!"

When the look of terror ceased to exist on Varian's face the young man's playful demeanor slightly changed to more of a embarassed one. "Oh. Gods. Sorry. Where are my manners?" He said. "I'm Hiccup. You're at The Dragons Edge. Welcome."

Varian was utterly stunned, having a loss for words. All that he felt was the pounding coming from his chest. He studied his surroundings sitting in a corner of an uncomfortable bed made out of wood consisting of itchy animal pelts. He seemed to be in a strange cabin of some kind, a hut, with a long and tall domed roof. It was lit by candles and the natural sunlight coming from the wide enormous entrance that made up half the place. The only other things that took up its small space was a working table, and oddly shaped banners of all colors neatly decorated on the wall above it.

"Dragons?" Was all Varian could manage.

Startled by the small outburst, Hiccup nodded. "Uh, yes."

"Evil, fire breathing, giant, scaly, _DRAGON_ , dragons?" Varian continued.

" _Evil_ might be pushing it a bit." Hiccup frowned, and then added, "Some are dangerous, but with the right training they can be tamed. Most of the time."

Trying to wrap it around his mind that such beings exist, Varian ran his hands through his hair. "Impossible!"

"No. Not really." Hiccup insisted. "Just slightly challenging-Uh . . . You act like you've never seen one before."

"That's because I haven't!" Varian exclaims. "Dragons don't exist where I'm from!"

Hiccup's only reply was an expression that consisted of surprise and confusion, "What?"

"They're just beasts in tall tales and fables fought by brave warriors to rescue their fair maidens from distress."

"Where are you from exactly?" Hiccup asks. "Actually, first of all, who are you?"

"My name is Varian." Varian suddenly snaps. "I'm from the kingdom of Corona-" Then he pauses as he realizes his fists were clenched from slow uproaring of raw emotion. He let's out a shaky breath, finding that the only reason he was getting angry, was because he was trying to hide the fact that he was scared. Varian was now letting it sink in that he was away from his mainland. Alone. In some forsaken place he didn't know. He was questioning wether or not if he was in his right mind in making the decision to leave. Actually. Was he at all in his right mind when he struck his King in the face? Varian should've just stayed and hid in his mainland. Corona was beyond perfect, but at least it was home. "I . . . _WAS_ from the kingdom of Corona." He corrected.

"Did something happen?" As soon as he asked it Hiccup regretted it.

Varian felt like he was at the heart of the ocean's storm again. He solemnly stared at his palms, slowly saying, "If I told you, you wouldn't have a very good first impression of me."

Wether Varian had a good impression on Hiccup or not didn't matter. It was wether or not Varian had a threatening demeanor toward Hiccup or his dragon. It was too early to tell who Varian was, to Hiccup he just looked like a distraught, grief stricken boy. It could've easily been just an act, but deep down Hiccup had a feeling it wasn't. Sensing the uncomfortable tension brewing between Varian and him, Hiccup didn't press for any more questions. Instead Hiccup got a rather very loud uncalled visitor.

Varian's skin crawled as he came into the scene throwing his arms up in the air with an intense exasperation.

"HICCUP, BROTHER! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" He was a fairly muscular, fairly large young man, with big wild green eyes. His hair was short, red, and sticking all over the place. He wore a leather and metal tunic, with a large wing spread dragon designed on his chest plate, wrist guards, knee guards, brown pants and boots. At a distance one could assume he had scars that looked like vicious claw marks on his right eye and left arm, but they were just permanent painted markings. The real scar took up half his right cheek. He looked like a complete mad barbarian.

"Dagur!" Hiccup exclaims. "Haven't you heard of common courtesy-Ah. Who am I kidding? What are you doing here?"

Wether he heard it or not, Dagur simply continued to rant and rave. "I tried and I tried, but they just won't break!" He huffs. "Those weird spikes are taking over Berserker Island and are DRIVING ME . . . tothebrinkofinstanity. And you know how I feel about that phrase!" A pause.

Varian tried not to cringe when Dagur suddenly became silent and stared straight at him.

"Oh!" Dagur smiled. Which looked more like a crooked senile grin. "Who do we have here?" Then he gasped. "HICCUP! Why didn't you tell me you and Astrid had a kid-"

"Oh my gods! Dagur! How would that even be possible? Astrid and I aren't even married yet-"

A short silence fell on Dagur before a roar of laughter escaped out of him.

Hiccup simply gave a look of utter annoyance with a hint of embarrassment as if he should've expected this kind of humor. "You got me. Very funny." He said through his teeth.

Dagur suddenly shouts. "HI, ASTRID!"

Hiccup's expression by then was just priceless.

A strikingly beautiful young woman with piercing blue eyes makes an appearence by the entrance. She looked angry, for she was out of breath when she said, "I tried to stop him!"

She had blonde hair wrapped in a short braid down her back with bangs that covered the left side of her face. She wore a metal-studded leather band across her forehead, a sleeveless shirt in varying shades of blue, tan cloth bracers on her arms, and metal bicep wrappings above them. She also had a brown studded skirt, another black one underneath it, and dark blue leggings.

Astrid sensed the awkwardness between the smug looking Dagur and a flustered Hiccup, she was about to ask what had happened, but then she noticed Varian. Astrid had softened her expression and smiled. "You're awake!" she said. "I thought you were a goner when my dragon and I found you. You've been out cold for days now. Are you all right?"

"Define all right?" It sounded harsher than Varian meant it to be.

"I'm sorry! But would you excuse us?" Hiccup said a little irritably. "Toothless, stay." He escorted the newcomers a few feet out of his hut.

The dragon tilted his head in confusion and stared at Varian as if to ask what in the world is going on? And Varian couldn't believed he shrugged at him in return.

There was a long intense discussion between Hiccup, Dagur, and Astrid. Varian held a scoff. If they wanted a private conversation they should've just went somewhere else to talk. Varian pretended like he didn't hear anything, but when they occasionally dropped his name he couldn't help it. By the sounds of it, Hiccup and Astrid concluded that Varian wasn't a threat to their Dragon's Edge. Not to their knowledge, anyway. If only they knew . . . That wasn't necessarily why Varian evesdropped. What he heard was a conversation about the storm that brought Varian . . . and an outbreak of mysterious indestructible pointed rocks.

"This is so strange. Not only did these stones appeared on the Dragon's Edge, but on Berserker Island too?" Hiccup was concerned. "What is going on?"

"Fishlegs has examined them." Astrid added. "He said it couldn't have been made from any known dragon. Or an unknown one for that matter. Not only that, they seem to have come right out of the water, and stopped, surrounding our island."

"It's the same thing on Berserker Island. My people are on serious high alert!" Dagur says. "We need a plan, brother! I say we gather all sorts of weapons and cause some MAYHEM!"

"Hold on!" Hiccup said with a little frustration. "Let's have a more reasonable approach to this. I think we should send out some of our riders and warn Berk and nearby allied tribes about these stones."

"Fishlegs, Snoutlout, and the twins are already on it." Astrid says.

"So is my sister, Heather." Dagur added. "There's also one thing I forgot to mention! Which is so idiotic of me since the message came from my lovely, dear, Mala. You know she says I tend to forget things whenever I'm under stress, but I tell her it's impossible-"

"Dagur!"

"What is it that she wanted to tell us?"

"RIGHT! My bad. My queen, Mala, has come to come across a strange visitor from a faraway land who might be the solution." Dagur scoffs. "She's seriously weird though, claiming to be royalty, but she's also very delicate and oddly polite. Gives me some serious butterflies, I DON'T LIKE IT! And OH GODS her HAIR!"

"A visitor?"

"Can you at least try to say her name?"

"I DON'T KNOW! It's like _RAPS_ . . . _RUMPLES_ . . ."

"Her name is Rapunzel. Princess of the kingdom of Corona." Varian suddenly announces, silencing the conversation, and having three pairs of eyes lurk in his direction. "You shouldn't have involved yourself or anybody you care about with those stones."

* * *

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